DISCLAIMER: This recap of Criminal Record Season 1 Episode 3, “Kid in the Park,” contains spoilers. Proceed at your peril.
The plot (and case) thickens in this week’s Criminal Record. “Kid in the Park” finds June purposely getting closer to Dan to observe him and how he operates. As usual, Cush Jumbo and Peter Capaldi deliver compelling performances. Every exchange between June and Dan feels tense, taut and layered, as if they could snap at any moment. I can’t wait to see more explosive and acerbic scenes between them in future episodes.
“Kid in the Park” is a nice balancing act of action and drama, and while there aren’t quite as many high-octane, edge-of-your-seat scenes, what few we do have are masterfully executed. The first scene grabs you instantly, and the moment when June potentially takes a bullet is nerve-racking.
The narrative moves at a steady clip here, and with new details coming to the fore, I’m excited to see how it all shakes out. And Dan’s inevitable downfall, of course.
RELATED: Check out our recap of Criminal Record Season 1 Episode 2, “Two Calls”
Rowntree Park
We open on a shot of a park in London. A nine-year-old boy, Isaac Witlow (Thomas Harper-Jones), watches one man argue on the phone as he paces the balcony of his apartment. Suddenly, we hear a gunshot. Even though we’re made to think the man on the balcony is the target, poor Isaac is injured. The boy lies on the ground, bleeding from the head. It’s a haunting and traumatic image.
Meanwhile, DS June Lenker (Jumbo) prints flyers to post around the city. She and Sonya are on the hunt for Carla, the Hayes Lane caller. DCI Roy Chambers (Ian Bonar) reveals that sweet Isaac is alive but needs to have the bullet removed from his brain. Chambers also urges his team to volunteer for the investigation as the shooter is still at large. June sees an opportunity to keep her enemy closer…
Reunion
Next, we see DCI Dan Hegarty (Capaldi) and DS Kim Cardwell (Shaun Dooley) walking through Rowntree Park in the aftermath of the shooting. They believe it was gang-related. Dan looks through a list of potential volunteers from the police station. Surprisingly, he allows June to join the case. They reunite in the park. He asks if she’s made progress with identifying and tracking the Hayes Lane caller. He marches off before she can finish her sentence, urging her not to beat herself up.
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Then, Kim introduces himself to June and DS Chloe Summers (Dionne Brown) after “pretending” to get them mixed up. That feels like a microaggression right there. An “all Black people look alike” joke. Ew. This series handles racism well and its innate place in the justice system. Meanwhile, Dan goes through his contacts list, asking them to put out feelers regarding Isaac’s shooter. He’s got connections.
Later, June is at home with her mother, Maureen (Zoë Wanamaker), and Leo (Stephen Campbell Moore). They see Isaac on the news and learn of his impending surgery to remove the bullet from his brain. June asks Leo where the bullet is located and how that’ll affect Isaac’s brain function.
Reopening the Case
Next, Sonya (Aysha Kala) utilizes her connections as a lawyer to rope in Doris Mathis’ volunteers to spread the Carla flyers. Perhaps someone in the area will recognize her. Before June departs, Sonya gives her files from the 2012 Errol Mathis case. June claims she can’t look through it because too many eyes are on her. However, Sonya persuades her to consider it. June may see a thread worth exploring that could exonerate Errol.
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Elsewhere, Dan delivers groceries for DS Tony Gilfoyle (Charlie Creed-Miles), the third member of The Sixty-Twos. Tony informs Dan about June’s insistence on digging into the Errol Mathis case. She hasn’t thrown in the towel yet. Dan’s efforts to deter her haven’t worked. Tony shows Dan the Carla flyers he found. Meanwhile, June looks through the box of files in her basement. She listens to a recording of Errol confessing to murdering Adelaide Burrowes.
She calls Sonya to give her thoughts. Sure, Errol has a litany of money issues and theft. However, there’s no history of violence or assault. So, why did he confess to the murder? No evidence would pin him to the murder, save he had Adelaide’s blood on his clothes and tried to flee with Patrick. Sonya asks June if she’d like to meet Errol. She claims she can get June into Whitecross, and Dan would be none the wiser. June considers the offer.
A Connection
Later, Dan calls June, asking her to meet Isaac’s mom, Jenny (Kerrie Hayes), at the hospital. Jenny requested her specifically. June meets Jenny, who’s sitting at Isaac’s bedside. Jenny is friends with the partner of June’s ex, her son’s father. June comforts Jenny as she cries, begging for the hospital to remove the bullet. Unfortunately, they’re waiting for the swelling in his brain to subside.
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Afterward, June climbs into Dan’s car. She updates him regarding her chat with Jenny and how they’re connected. While Dan is on a phone call, June notices a business card for his side venture: his driving services. She surreptitiously pockets it.
Next, June arrives at Whitecross for her meeting with Errol. She claims she’s there to see Samson Michaels. She sits in the waiting room, where she spots Sonya. Sonya’s actually there for Samson Michaels, so she leaves when his name is called. Meanwhile, June departs when an officer recites “Errol Mathis.” Elsewhere, Dan meets Stefan Ash (Paul Thornley) with a request. He hands Stefan money, asking if he can help with the “kid in the park.” Stefan silently nods before exiting the vehicle.
Meeting Errol Mathis
Then, June finally meets Errol (Tom Moutchi). He asks if she’s a police officer, and if she’s there to pin anything new on him. He admits she can’t do much because he’s behind bars. June addresses Errol’s alibi. Said alibi claims Errol was looking for work. Errol confirms this, even naming the location of the establishment and the alibi’s name: Mustafa. However, Errol believes Mustafa has relocated to Turkey.
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Errol states the police told him that Mustafa didn’t know him. He stands by what he said, though. He knows to whom he spoke. June changes the subject to Errol recalling his confession of murdering Adelaide. Errol admits they had him on “many drugs.” So, he wasn’t even of sound mind when he confessed. It sounds like they forced it out of him to close the case. Ew.
When asked if he believes he killed Adelaide, Errol avoids offering an answer, instead describing how he feels in his day-to-day. It’s challenging to keep it together. June mentions his mom and Patrick. Naturally, Errol is curious about Patrick and whether June has seen him. Before they part ways, Errol urges June to give his mother, Doris, a kiss from him. This is a short scene, but it showcases the breadth and depth of Moutchi’s talent. My heart breaks for Errol.
Something’s Off
Meanwhile, the Whitecross staff notices something peculiar about June and how she’s not there to see Samson Michaels. They contact her superiors. June and Sonya meet up after her chat with Errol to brainstorm their next move. June also shows Sonya Dan’s business card for his chauffeuring.
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Later, June learns of a development in the Isaac case — they’ve got a name for the shooter. Kim directs June on where to go. Kim and the team have located the shooter, Jason Reeve, and are circling his residence. Dan sits in a van and watches the situation play out on various cameras. However, the cameras crap out after the police have entered the flat. Dan is not a happy camper.
However, Kim informs Dan about Jason’s girlfriend, who’s alone in said flat. She claims she doesn’t know where he is. We see Jason Reeve (Francis Lovehall) walk through the neighborhood undetected with a gun in his pants. Suddenly, June encounters Jason. She cautiously approaches him, but he fires on her before fleeing. Dan, who saw it all on camera, runs to June’s aid. Thankfully, the bullet missed her. We learn later on that Kim and his team caught Jason.
Learning (and Covering) the Truth
Then, Dan discovers what June has been up to: she met with Errol at Whitecross. However, when confronted about it, June lies, claiming she conducted an interview with someone from an “old DV (domestic violence) case.”
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Next, Dan meets with ACC Claudia Mayhew (Georgina Rich) before the approaching press conference regarding the closing of Isaac’s case. Claudia addresses the elephant in the room. A young “blue-eyed” boy was gunned down by, presumably, gang members. Claudia believes the institution is under intense scrutiny, especially from a racial standpoint. Well, yeah, the whole police system is inherently racist.
Dan agrees with her, stating they must be a mirror to the community they serve. “In all its technicolor diversity,” he adds. This is why they put June “in the shop window.” She will join them for the press conference. Claudia chats with June beforehand.
Vouching for Patrick
Then, Mick Hargreaves (Peter Bramhill) returns June’s call. He confirms that an old “possession with intent to supply” was imposed upon young Patrick Burrowes; however, he was the only person not charged with the crime. Why? Because someone vouched for him. That someone was Dan Hegarty. While sitting in the press conference, June and Dan exchange charged glances.
It’s on.
RELATED: Keep up on the case with our Criminal Record recaps
Why did Dan vouch for Patrick? Who actually killed Adelaide? Will June and Sonya find Carla in time to clear Errol’s name? Only time (and more episodes) will tell.
Criminal Record streams new episodes every Wednesday on Apple TV+.
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What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet.
Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium.
Critic: Rotten Tomatoes, CherryPicks, and the Hollywood Creative Alliance.
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